School Week 2

 Illustration I Pen & Ink Study

I am a bit more then half way through my 2nd week of the fall 09 term. So far I don't have a lot of images to show for my efforts. Actually classes this term aren't going to be generating the number of images that my classes last year did. Without a specific drawing class there just won't be the output. I do have an image of my first finished project for my Illustration I class. Not a pretty picture I know, actually it isn't supposed to be. This is a study for us to learn how to use a crow quill pen and ink to create images that look 3 dimensional on the flat paper using different types of line. So the purpose of the exercise was to draw object, a cylinder, a cube, and a sphere with shadows using just pen and ink. Takes forever, but it was a good exercise. I am not totally happy with the cubes, and the photo isn't the best but its not bad either.

Our next assignment is to draw with pen and ink a small wooden basket, the kind they used to sell things like berries in.

It looks like the one pictured above, though the one I am using isn't brand new and looks a bit worse for wear. I am supposed to picture it as a perfect basket, though to be honest I think it would be more interesting done as it really looks. Still if an artist is doing an illustration for a book, magazine, paper or for advertising the image needs to be perfect. Believe it or not I am having trouble drawing the basket. A bit frustrating, I guess I have been spending too much time on people and animals and need to get back to drawing some objects to get my skills back up.

In 3D design we are working on our first project. I was using plasticine clay to model an object that I will then have to reproduce with white board, but first we do a small model. I started with a triangle/pyramid that had a curved side that went from convex to concave but while it was ok it wasn't exciting. Then I played with a cube, that didn't do anything for me either. The last object I played with was a sphere and what that did was very interesting so that is what I am going to try and model. I have created some templates in Corel Draw, and sometime this weekend I will be building this Object. May have pictures for you next week of at least the small model. Discovered the hard way something I didn't know before I started playing with the clay, I think it has sulfur in it, my poor silver rings turned black. Next time I play with the clay I need to remember to take my rings off. I did some clean up on a couple of the rings using baking soda and a toothbrush. Worked fairly well except I didn't really do all of the ring surfaces so need to go back and do it a bit more.

In Graphic Design we are working on our first project, two posters to represent Reality vs Perception. We had to have sketches yesterday, and I think I have a concept that I can work with. More images are due tomorrow so I have browsing the internet looking for photos that I can use as reference images for my drawings. I don't think I will be using any real photo's for this design, at least that is not my current plan, we will see. I may get frustrated with my abilities with the software and change my mind. The sketches are done on tracing paper so don't photograph well which is why there are no images yes for that class.

I have also been able to make some progress with the mandala. It isn't done but it is getting there. It needs a title, any suggestions are welcome. Colors are a bit better in this photo so you can get a better idea of what it looks like in real life.

That's it for this update. Per usual comments are always welcome.